


Keep me grounded

by bblamentation



Series: A kiss with you (and you) [1]
Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Angst, First Kiss, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Major Spoilers, Multi, Polyamory, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-12-22 17:46:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11972457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bblamentation/pseuds/bblamentation
Summary: After Glendower, after dying, after waking, Gansey is stumbling through his thoughts. It’s not wasps he needs courage for. It’s his greatest fear: the consequences of finding Glendower late.It takes the need of abandoning those thoughts to be able to hold some peace, and who better than the boy who's first language is thoughts.





	Keep me grounded

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't mean for this fic to turn out as long as it did but oh well. I have been needing to write a solely Sarchengsey fic, of just their relationship, ever since I finished the series last year and what better way than to start a series about first kisses.

It had only been a few hours since he had woken to Blue’s face raw with grief, tears that stuck to her cheeks, and the worried stares from his best friends, a mess of frustration, grief, and relief. In the present he was in the warmth of 300 Fox Way holding onto Blue’s hand, tight…

Prior to waking Gansey had been filled with thoughts of a sleeping Glendower clashing with a dead Glendower, both lost and found on the ley-line. He could still feel Blue’s wet cheek whilst they helped him up from the road—blood and blue petals gone as if he had not died and dragged the demon with him. His friend’s faces were slowly growing warmer with relief for every second he breathed. Seeing their relief swelled guilt inside Gansey’s stomach where he had worried them—more so the longer they could not tell him what happened.

During the car journey to Fox Way they told him they had woken him but could not give the specifics. Gansey could tell they downplayed the details as to what happened after Blue’s lips had touched his, but he could not blame them for he had seen their grief. For him. All he managed to gather was that he had repeated death, Cabeswater listened, and his friends had done something miraculous and magical. It must have been if he was able to brush Blue’s cheeks, watch Henry smile with more words than speech, hear Adam’s mutters of relief, and feel the weight of Ronan’s hand on his shoulder and back. Maybe, Gansey thought, Henry would have delivered more facts but he drove alone in his Frisker, following them.

It was not until the exhausted adolescents had arrived in the comfort of Blue’s home, with familiar warmth of the Fox Way ladies, were they able to speak of the night’s events, no, it had been over a day. Time had halted at the mansion. Time had halted for Gansey’s awakening.

Slowly and hesitantly they managed to start at the—Gansey’s—end flicking between parallels of how Ronan, Adam, and Blue knew, and what Gansey and Henry had done. The gaps of the night slowly filled. In the pauses and silences, Maura and Calla were good and careful at filling in the gaps where no one could handle speaking. The older women were more capable to guide the conversation and emotions with sensitivity more than Gansey thought he needed.

Talk of Glendower, Cabeswater, and Gansey’s and the demon’s death trailed into concerns that the long night meant rest. They all were to clean themselves from the cuts and the inflicted wounds of the night (no, they had to remember they left over a day ago). Gansey’s health was accounted for, risen or not he was forced to change into a mismatch of Mr Gray’s and Calla’s old clothes. Gwenllian sang laughter at his new attire but had more interest in the damp clothes in the bathtub.

Changed, Gansey returned to the living room area to see Ronan and Adam had moved to seat themselves in the garden, the glass door closed for privacy of sound. Gansey saw hints of the Ronan just after seeing his father, seeing his mother, and a sick queasy feeling in his stomach told him of how he had not told Ronan he was leaving. Ronan had scolded him as much for it as he could before Glendower. Since, they had not spoken of it more than the understanding Gansey gave in an apology through squeezing Ronan’s shoulder. The privacy of Ronan and Adam made it clear that they were in need of a conversation and so the time for Gansey was not the right moment. For now, whilst Adam could coax understanding and feelings from Ronan, Gansey would wait and hold his presence for his best friend.

In the living area, Blue and Henry were sat on the sofa together so close they were almost cuddling. Wounds cleaned and talking quietly with another. The stillness of the night let their soft whispers tickle the air. Gansey ached for their warmth and comfort of them but did not want to disturb such a moment. Yet, he could not just stand and watch the two converse. He would not be alone again.

Gansey joined the two on the sofa making his presence known with a tired smile and a hello. “You two look cosy,” Gansey commented. Two of his most favourite people seemed to be at peace with one another slotted in an embrace of Henry’s arm around Blue as she impossibly had managed to seem smaller as she curled in his side.

In lieu of a reply, Blue smiled and stretched out from Henry’s side to open a space for Gansey to sit between them, to which he gladly took, sinking into them. Henry’s arm wrapped around his shoulders, fingertips brushing Blue’s hair, holding Gansey against him as if it was just what he needed just as he had been driving in the middle of the night. Blue cuddled into Gansey’s side for warmth. It was hard to tell whether Gansey needed her warmth or her his, either way he was more than content.

“You know, it’s sort of refreshing to see you in something other than your pressed trousers or your uniform—” Blue fumbled with the fabric of the loose shirt Gansey wore. It had been Calla’s and Gansey remembered Blue talking about how her Calla loved to share clothes.

“Ganseyman, you should wear clothes people our age wear,” Henry added in. It was not hard to see he was stepping in for Blue but it was simpler to ignore what they skirted around. “Although, Calla has a better fashion sense than you.”

Blue chuckled. It was so light Gansey realised how heavy conversations had been the past few days; the past week had been burdening. She was the calm he needed just as he wanted.

“I think he inherited from his father,” Blue joined in the teasing. “Seeing Gansey in a pair of boat shoes is one thing but seeing two Ganseys in two pairs of them.”

“Oh gosh, but even he was better dressed,” Henry laughed. Blue joined in and Gansey could not help smile feeling their laughter from their bodies on his.

They carried on in their teases, nothing forced. Only back and forth.

 

* * *

 

With time, Cabeswater must have lingered in Gansey’s bones as the realisation that the hands on the clock and their perception of time were misaligned. Gansey was unsure how long they had been talking and teasing one another, hands fiddling with Gansey’s clothes (even if they weren’t really his), his hair, and pinching his cheeks and dimple in a tease. Their time talking was marked by Ronan and Adam entering the house again. Opal, however, could be heard outside conversing with someone in screeches just low of neighbours being disturbed.

“I’m going to pick some things from Monmouth,” Adam said looking between the three seated ever so close and comfortably on the sofa. Ronan had dumped himself in one of the armchairs on the other side of the room, one hand shoved into his still-damp jeans whilst the other was affectionate with Chainsaw.

“Do you need to borrow my bike?” Blue asked, already shifting in her seat ready for Adam’s acceptance.

“No, I can drive Lynch’s car,” Adam said. He jangled some keys in his hand. Gansey looked over to Ronan who seemed more relaxed than when they all had been talking with Blue’s mother.

“Right,” Blue nodded and shifted back into Gansey’s side.

“I best be off, too,” Henry said. He ruffled Blue’s hair before stretching and moving to leave the sofa.

“Henry, you don’t have to leave,” Blue said, soft and longing. Earlier, Maura had welcomed and had insisted that the boys stay the night.

Henry gave an apologetic smile. “Sorry, Blue, but I have to head back.”

“Captain’s ship?” Gansey said less as a question and more confirmation that Henry would always be needed at Litchfield with the Vancouver crowd.

“Captain’s ship.” Henry gave a quick tap for a salute. Gansey must have looked sullen about Henry leaving, more so than finding dead bones of Glendower, that Henry spoke again, “I would stay longer.” He shrugged as though he was helpless but Gansey had felt his worth more than he ever should.

“Thank you, Henry,” Gansey said. It was not just for the ease that Henry wanted to stay but for being there on the side of the road, waiting. No, ever since Henry had curled Robobee in his hand. Gansey owed far more to Henry than he ever thought he could ever. It was more than thanks he wanted to give Henry; it was the same courage and the strength he gave.

Henry smiled. “It’s why I’m grateful for Robobee.”

Blue stood up to bid Henry farewell by the door, and Gansey followed suit. Henry gave his farewells to Adam and Ronan though only Adam acknowledged him with an awkward half-hearted smile. They exited the living room and stood by the front door giving their heartfelt goodbyes and well-meaning thanks once more. Gansey watched Blue give Henry the biggest hug her small body could muster. She was small but her love had might. Henry smiled and kissed the top of her head, and Gansey wondered whether he found Blue’s tufts of hair ticklish.

After their goodbye, Henry patted Gansey’s arm before pulling Gansey into a hug. Gansey was wrapped in warmth and the faint smell of cologne mixed with petrichor. He could have stayed in his arms far well into the night, and it seemed he would when Henry squeezed and kept his head tucked in his neck, a harder task for being the taller of the two. When he felt and heard Henry exhale, Gansey understood he was being checked that he was real. It made the soft touches on the sofa a little heavier.

“I’m okay,” Gansey said. It was his best at reassurance despite the events.

Henry chuckled, and slowly withdrew. He looked between his closest friends; the people he had promised Venezuela. He smiled one of his kindest smiles and said, “I’ll be off.”

Blue smiled at them. They lingered and it was not until Henry teased Gansey in Calla’s clothes and told him to deliver his sweater back with a laugh that they were able to finally bid him farewell. They wished he travelled back safe and Henry promised.

With the door closed and Adam getting things ready to leave Blue commented on the departure. “Henry held us together,” Blue said. Everyone looked towards her. “When you…” She breathed. Restarted. “When you had left, we did everything to contact you. Robobee had helped by existing. Henry is always able to find you like tonight—“ Gansey thought of Henry waiting by the side of the road and the firefly Ronan had dreamed. “—It didn’t take much before Ronan was speeding down the highway. Henry brought us down that cave. It was him who rooted us when you died. I don’t think we could have saved you, at least not without Henry holding us.”

“He kind of kicked us into saving you,” Adam said. “Forced us to believe we were your magicians.”

Gansey had heard the story in the kitchen with Maura and Calla but the heaviness of the conversation had not been fully appreciated. He had not heard that it had been Henry who had pulled them to pull him back. When talk of how they had brought Gansey back, they had told in detail what had happened with Cabeswater but not of the emotion beforehand.

“You _are_ my magicians,” Gansey said; they needed to know how important they were to him. “I know I went alone.” At that he made sure to make eye contact with Ronan; he needed to know that this apology was sincere—that he regretted demanding to be shown Glendower on his own. Ronan knew. “When I left, I followed Noah. I listened to Gwenllian. I chased the ravens. If Henry had not found me on the skirts of Henrietta I don’t know what would have happened. You’ve saved me more than once.”

Speeches had always been a part of what made a person a Gansey, but words with such emotion Gansey was treading to know how to apologise to his friends properly. It was nothing like the apologies he brushed when he knew Adam had been angry and hurt or Blue was annoyed at him. He feared that they would bristle again with shouts that he had been a fool.

Expecting more of a rebuttal, Gansey stumbled when Blue pulled him into a hug. He heard her curse at their height difference. It made him smile at least that she gave him more warmth and comfort than he had since he heard their voices in the cave. Adam pulled a half-smile that understood Gansey. Ronan nodded brows still furrowed but he was rich with understanding. Gansey ached for them. Blue, Adam, Ronan: three was a strength.

“For the future,” Ronan said. “Be Gansey not a Dick.” His voice was slightly jarring in the Fox Way living room but only by the noise rather than his words; it had been the first time he had heard him speak since they had arrived at the house. Despite the absence of talk, or at least towards his friends, Gansey could not help but laugh. It wasn’t hearty but it chuckled out of him in a sad smile that Ronan relaxed his shoulders, Chainsaw moving with them. It allowed Ronan to lash something out towards him. But his barks were always tamer towards Gansey.

“Thank you, Ronan.” He was sure Ronan had drawn his heart for Adam; Gansey was beginning to see their relationship ran deeper than the arguments they had had and the work they did at the Barns. Ronan looked to him. Gansey could see his eyes were slightly red but he did not glance towards Adam for a confirmation.

“Come on, we should sleep,” Blue patted Gansey’s arm looking between her boys. “And Adam you better hurry if you’re needing to head to Monmouth.”

Adam smiled. He went over to Ronan, speaking too low for Gansey or Blue to hear, before he gave pats to Blue and Gansey. His hand staying a second longer on Gansey.

Eventually, when Adam had returned with a bag of clothes, toiletries, and bird feed, the four of them made their way to Blue’s room where sleeping bags and a mattress had been squashed into the room to allow for them all to sleep. Gansey was glad no one made him return to Monmouth. Sharing the room with three of his closest friends was the comfort he needed to distance his findings for the night. Part of him knew they could not leave him alone on the sofa as if he would leave again. He wouldn’t.

Although it took hours before anyone truly fell asleep, Adam and Blue were the first to drift. It was, however, the first time he had not slept after listening to Blue. But he took the whispers with Ronan more to heart than his tired self did in the morning.

 

* * *

 

The rest of the weekend was spent at Fox Way. It was loud but light. It was unorganised but routine. It was another home. Henry came through the day bringing his smile and wit and left at night with lingering touches and heartfelt goodbyes. Gansey could feel his courage waning and loss growing as Henry made his way to leave.

On the Sunday night before Henry departed he held his hand on Gansey’s shoulder. “Come to school,” Henry said softly. It was more of a suggestion than it was a direct order but Gansey could feel Henry needed him to go back to a routine of school, even if there was nothing more there than there had been in the cave.

“Okay.” A promise.

 

* * *

 

Gansey kept his promise the next day but dressing in his Aglionby uniform had made Blue avert her eyes and he remembered her prophecy and her lips. It was not until they stood outside 300 Fox Way until Blue managed a smile. She bid them well and welcomed them to stay another night but none of the boys thought it wise to attach themselves too closely to the warmth of Fox Way, as inviting as it was. It was a denial but an acceptance that they had found Glendower.

Adam slid into the backseat of the car, leaving the front passenger seat for Gansey. Sitting beside Ronan was the norm, usual, ease but Gansey would always be thrown when he saw Ronan in his uniform. The car ride was relatively quiet bar the morning radio—Ronan had initially let squash one play but was instantly shut down by both Gansey and Adam. Gansey suspected Ronan had only let him touch the radio station with thanks to the caws from Chainsaw. Ronan seemed to understand her calls even if Gansey didn’t.

As Ronan pulled up to Aglionby, it was hard to believe what had transpired over the past week, let alone the past year. Ronan had never thought school necessary. Adam had pushed himself to attend every period and activity that would benefit him later. Gansey came for the filling of time, although it had become a waste of time in the past few weeks. School had become mundane compared to the search for Glendower, unnecessary. Then again, if he had not Henry may would not have been able to pull him down to the secret in Borden House and place another secret in his hand. If not for Henry, Gansey would not have turned up to school to check Henry had been a truth. Henry Cheng had been part of the reason to turn up at school, sometimes to see him waving a petition at easily swayed freshmen but mainly to steal time alone, away from the bustle of Aglionby personalities (and their own Aglionby selves).

“Find Cheng.”

It took Gansey a moment to understand that despite all the magic in the world, Ronan had not read his mind. He had spoken with an affirmation of what was needed. Looking to Ronan’s fingers tightening on the wheel, Gansey grasped the situation. Despite his attire, Ronan could not return to school. He would not ask that of Ronan no matter how many deals he had made with Child.

Gansey nodded, understanding, “be good.” Satisfied that Ronan had heard him, Gansey turned to the backseat. “Adam?”

Adam was frowning, watching Ronan’s hands one white-knuckled on the steering wheel and the other limp against the hand brake. It was as if his left hand had taken all the strength from his right. In reply to Gansey he said, “a moment.”

Gansey shut the door and distanced himself from the car. He could see some movements that Adam had moved into the passenger seat at the front. Gansey was beginning to wonder how he hadn’t known their closeness; although part of that may have had been due to his own feelings towards Blue—and Henry… God, he was still trying to wrap his head around how easy Henry slipped into his life. The conversation he and Blue had had, had been one of the easiest of their relationship. The conversation they had with Henry was underwhelmingly less awkward. He remembered Henry had called it _jeong. “We instead of you and me_.”

After a few minutes, Adam exited the car. Ronan sped off as soon as Adam shut the door and Gansey doubted he would return. Adam shaking his head confirmed he would not.

There may have been an opening for Gansey to ask where Ronan had gone but it was not the time. Ronan needed space. Ronan did far better on the roads and the Barns than he could within the confinements of school.

Aglionby Academy ran with the same usual routine of people bustling towards homeroom, assemblies, and various meetings. The building and its most residential students were oblivious to the ley lines. Gansey wished he could be as he saw a boy crooning over his notebooks but instead of class notes Gansey felt the ache of the Glendower journal scattered open in his room at Monmouth. Where the school would run on its usual grounds of routine, it was clear the magic of the ley lines were not carrying over to the building.

Gansey would have made a comment on the routineness but a few of his classmates walked past thumping him on the shoulder and others waving at him. It took far too much effort to smile and call their names back to them than it should have. Even Adam who lived on routine and schedules was groaning at the day ahead.

It truly would be a long day.

 

* * *

 

It took until sixth period before Gansey followed Ronan’s suggestion and found Henry—or rather it was not until sixth period when Henry had found Gansey on his way to history. Thoughts had muddled of what had and had not transpired, too distracted in lessons to give his full Aglionby self that some thought he was ill. When he looked to Henry, he radiated with welcome. Part of him saw the boy standing on the side on road helping him drive to the other end of the ley line. Logically, he knew Henry was not wearing the same Aglionby sweater from the other night but the shiver sent down him back could not help but think that he would hand it over and Gansey would be by bones once more.

He was dragged away from thoughts of the night by Henry’s greeting. “You came,” Henry smiled and placed a hand on Gansey’s shoulder a small comfort in something that was familiar.

“Despite things I can’t skip a day of school,” Gansey said.

“You should want to, at least.”

“I do.” It had not meant to come out as sombre as it had but Gansey was exhausted. He already had two teachers ask him how his research was going and with his history class, Gansey was wishing he had stayed in Ronan’s car.

As if knowing how Gansey’s day had been so far Henry pulled the corner of his lips into a tug of a smile that did nothing for either of them. “You know, I’m not really feeling eating with the Vancouver crowd tonight,” Henry excused himself as though having dinner with them had already been an option for Gansey. After the toga party, the others had been friendlier and louder when they passed Gansey in the corridors. He had thanked neither Adam nor Ronan was with him when they were jovial but Gansey could only think that it was Blue who had grown closer to them that night—not himself. The party had never been about the others for Gansey that party had been about Gansey, Blue, and Henry. Where he had eased into relaxing with less of his Aglionby self despite the Aglionby setting he could always do so with Henry.

Gansey opened his mouth to suggest that they eat at Nino’s whilst Blue worked, but he heard the calls of his name by passing members of the Aglionby Crew Team. They did not stay around longer than to shout his name in a rowdy comradery and wait for Gansey to give them the crew salute. It was strange in how quickly he slipped into _Ganseyboy_ despite the weight of everything.

“I’m seeing why you don’t hang around the team so much,” Henry gave a forced smile as similar to Gansey’s as would fit on his face as the team left.

“There’s some parts I miss.”

“Yeah?” Henry raised a brow inviting Gansey to tell more.

“The pool for one.”

Henry nodded, “I can see that. You wouldn’t catch me near that pool though, even if Robobee is waterproof. I didn’t do too well the crew team after I had a petition against their um use of facilities.”

Hearing Henry having bad associations with something he loved was a slight at his view of the pool. Gansey thought of the last time he had been by the pool. It was his space. A communal space that somehow felt as though it was Gansey’s to keep. Before he heard the words leave his mouth he did not know he would be inviting Henry to the space where thoughts bubbled and laxed. “What if I told you, you have to see its beauty? Count it as my own secret to your hole at Borden House.”

“Hoo, I’m always sold on whispers and secrets,” Henry said leaning forward to level himself with Gansey. “But just so you know. You don’t need to demand anything from me.” Henry’s grin lessened to a small smile but Gansey swore there was more to it than just the reassurance of a friend. Especially when he felt the temperature of the school hallway was warmer than it had been since he left class.

 

* * *

 

After school and bidding Adam good luck as he returned to work, Gansey waited by the front gates for Henry. Just like any other teenager, Aglionby students rushed to leave school for whatever exciting plans they had planned. The rush was not unexpected but Henry greeting him without the Vancouver crowd was. The Vancouver crowd were a tight-knit group that Gansey expected they were to bid Henry farewell.

Henry did not mention their whereabouts upon arrival and instead asked, “so are you sharing?”

Just like he had a few weeks ago, Gansey inputted the key code to the Athletics complex and headed towards the pool. A year of training with the rowing team instilled the training schedule as information for everyday life and it made it far easier to know the rowing team nor the swimming team would be using the indoor facilities.

“I guess Richard Gansey III does like to break rules,” Henry said looking around the facilities. The indoor pool was large and expensive. There were stands to the side for competitions and national events. Everything was lined in perfect symmetry there could be a clean cut through the middle.

“Individual practice.” Gansey walked to the edge of the pool. Every part of him needed to strip down and submerge himself into the water. He needed to drown the weight and thoughts that shouted in his head. The water was still and echoed a beckoning that had sated and drowned thoughts only weeks ago. If Gansey was going to share his one secret of the buildings of Aglionby Academy then he had to now.

He slipped his shoes off pulling his socks off. “I used to come here a few hours earlier than practice,” Gansey started to explain himself and pulled his sweater off. Both boys watched Gansey dump his sweater on the floor. It landed just by pool water splashed by an earlier practice.

“You didn’t come to just do laps,” Henry guessed the reason for early starts. He was still looking at Gansey’s sweater dumped and dampening by a puddle of pool water. The soft smile of curiosity frowning into concern over the discarded cloth. In a silent effort to defuse an uncomfortable mood, Gansey moved his sweater away from the puddle pushing the thought that Maura still had Henry’s sweater ever-present.

“No.”

Henry took his focus away from the sweater and stepped to place a comforting hand on Gansey’s shoulder. The weight of it was magic in itself: a strength of their bond.

In another moment Gansey could steel himself. He spoke softly but with sureness (not confidence), “I come here to lose thoughts. Where we shared secrets in Borden House, you can release them here. It’s a place you can forget things. Only for a moment but it’s far better to clear your head than to muddle it every waking hour.”

“My mother sent me a text this morning asking me how I was doing. I don’t know what she thinks happened for me to skip on her and if she wants me to go back home… Helen hasn’t messaged me since. She knows I was doing something selfish. Then, I keep thinking about when we found Glendower. Dead. Just bones. What if I had found him by myself? I had not called one friend that I had around me at that moment. I hadn’t even called you.” Gansey breathed. He had not realised he had closed his eyes longer than merely to blink as he only felt Henry rubbing the top of his arm. It was soothing. Different. They had not comforted in such a way before. Gansey exhaled before opening his eyes and made eye contact with Henry. “Thank you, again, for sending Robobee, for being on the road, for everything. You steeled me.”

Though Gansey stopped, Henry kept watching. It was as if he was watching Gansey’s breathing, the biting of his lips, the tense limbs—that by looking at details Henry could read him as well as Robobee read his thoughts. It should have unnerved him that someone could read his thoughts but Gansey wanted to be known. Needed it.

“Taking a swim now, then,” Henry said. The lack of acknowledgement was acknowledgement itself. Despite the Henry who thrived and rule in campaigning, Gansey knew his words were not even the strongest part of him.

The hand that had been comforting his shoulder slid to his hand and Gansey could take that as an approval of secrets. “Any reason not to?”

Henry gave a small smile, “lack of swimwear?”

“I thought clothing improvisation was your thing? Bed sheets and all?” The toga party seemed far longer in time than it had been. If they had been comfortable to wear ridiculous robes for an evening of socialising, surely, there left little room for embarrassment at what they could wear.

“To be fair, I’ve been caught in worse attire.”

Gansey managed a short laugh for a quick apology, “sorry about Mr Gray.”

Acceptance of being brought to the pool came as Henry slipped his hand from Gansey’s and thumbed his shoes and socks leaving them discarded where he took them off. Taking the go-ahead, Gansey disrobed the rest of his clothes until he was left with his vest and underwear. He didn’t wait for Henry; the pool water called for him to leave the hectivity of the past year behind him, to leave them for cleaning. Gansey threw himself into the water.

Time was lost once more as he submerged in the water. Breath on-hold. Eyes closed. Familiarity gave way to peace.

When Gansey emerged and spun to look towards Henry he thought he had water stuck in his ears trying to understand what Henry was saying. It was not until Henry visibly sighed that he understood that he would never understand the Korean Henry spoke. He crouched down by the side of the pool and dipped his fingers in the water. His fingers trailed in the water sending tiny ripples away.

“It’s freezing,” Gansey said by-way of inviting Henry to join him. He had no idea how Blue and Orla had dove straight into the murky lake without hesitation.

“You’re tempting.” The look Henry had was indecipherable. It was a longing look before something that edged when glanced to the discarded sweater and then back to Gansey in the water. One boy in a vast pool. There was no reason not to join his closest friend.

Henry stripped down to a similar fashion as Gansey. Rather than just jumping in, Henry made it a point to take a few strides back. If there was one sportsman between the two boys it was not Henry (no matter if he had modelling shoots where he sat atop a horse), nevertheless Henry gave a run-up and aimed to jump as close to Gansey as he could. Gansey broke into laughter as he watched Henry, trying his best to move fast in the water but instead was caught choking on water and laughter when Henry splashed near him.

When Henry emerged from the water, he should have looked a little dishevelled and unflattering but despite being soaked, Henry still managed to look as if he was on an underwear modelling shoot. His hair slick back as if styled differently with the light catching him just at an angle that highlighted cheekbones and jaw. Gansey groaned at that.

“Can you look ugly for once,” Gansey splashed water towards Henry.

“Hey,” Henry laughed wiping his face. “I see Gansey but pretty sure I’m hearing Blue.”

“I don’t know if she would be so disgusted.”

“Maybe, maybe not. She’d probably make a comment that we have disposable clothes or something about laundry though.”

Gansey laughed. He was thankful they could ease into something they both related to, cared for deeply. When had they been so close with one another. When had Gansey become so at ease. He could not help but remember asking that of Henry before. Their relationship was too strange to put a label and yet Henry had but also had denied that it was ever true label. That Gansey had been able to tell himself he shared it with his close friends.

“J _eong_ ,” Gansey testing the word out loud, half-hoping he had remembered the pronunciation as much as the word. When Henry looked at him with a frown Gansey elaborated, “you said we had _jeong_.“

Henry smiled his eyes creasing. “Yeah, I called it _jeong_.”

Gansey nodded.

“It’s complicated, right?” Gansey watched Henry close his eyes and breathe. A few seconds passed before Henry opened them and looked to Gansey but they way he caught his eye was more than looking, more than just eye contact; it felt as though Henry looked into him could peer more to know Gansey but opened himself up to let Gansey see into his dark eyes. “Korean has it’s select words and English has it’s select words… all languages do. But it’s something we do and well I hope you think we have. It’s a sort of like a mutual love for one another…”

Gansey swallowed. He wanted to sink deeper in the water with the rise of heat in his body. No matter how many times Henry would open himself up Gansey could not believe he was welcomed in; he was not being told otherwise, not being pushed because he had pried too far. Henry looked to Gansey in wait of his answer.

They waited. Silence enveloping them in the calm of the pool. It was hard to tell who had moved first, whether Gansey had seen Henry move his hand towards Gansey’s face and he had taken that to lean in, or Gansey moved forward allowing Henry to reach him.

“I spoke to Blue about this,” Henry said. His voice breathy, too close.

The pool water sticking clothes to skin should have made deterred comfort with shivers, yet Henry’s warm breath soothed more than just a comfort. He watched Henry’s lips took in the creases of skin before glancing up to black eyes, waiting. The two boys watching one another.

Gansey slowly closed his eyes and breathed.

As he took a slow inbreath, he felt a gentle touch of Henry’s thumb on his chin, the rest of his fingers cupping underneath. If the touch of pool water had allowed him to forget whirring thoughts of consequences, then Henry’s caress was warmth that stopped the world around them where it was only this feeling that existed. That they had love. Shared it.

Gansey placed one hand on Henry’s waist whilst the other caressed the back of Henry’s head. His fingers slipping and finding grip in well-kept hair whilst he himself slipped into their kiss. Thoughts were lost once more and Gansey was tasting Henry, albeit with a hint of chlorine that made him smile (it was a strange taste). He could feel the difficulty in trying to reciprocate Henry’s kisses if his lips wanted to smile more. Henry’s breath paced a silent laughter trying to find lips but soon he too, was smiling.

They pulled back with breaths of silent laughter. Smiling, not just because they had kissed but they were once more sharing well-beings.

It was Gansey who broke the silence, apologising but not truly meaning anything by it. “Sorry about that.”

Henry rubbed his finger along Gansey’s jawline to his bottom lip, pulling it down just slightly. “I have to say I did expect more mint.”

Gansey chuckled.

Henry’s smile tilted and Gansey watched his eyes blink slowly. “If you need. Blue and I can come with you to see your parents. It might have been selfish. It might not have been the King you had been looking for but a King did wake that night. You were called the Raven King but foremost, you are Gansey.”

It was not such a strange thing to say after such a tease. Not when Gansey had brought him here because of such thoughts. At least Gansey felt it right, that Henry would state the worries Gansey had. Hearing the title spoken by Henry was far different than the squawks of ravens and the prophecies from the psychics. There were few but important people who made Gansey feel at ease with phrases that should have made him feel the opposite. Although it was not unexpected, it was only when he watched the crease in Henry’s eyes that Gansey realised he, himself, had felt such elation, whether it was Henry’s words that relieved him or he was mirroring the warmth Henry seemed to radiate Gansey could not quite tell. Either way he was sure it was Henry’s fault.

Both smiling, Henry leaned forward again, and Gansey could not help himself into another kiss. One that he could feel and hold onto.

When they pulled back Gansey breathed, “if you want, I have mint leaves in my bag.”

Henry laughed and pecked Gansey on the cheek.

 

* * *

 

As the two boys left Aglionby Academy, Robobee buzzed a little louder than usual.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, also if people think I should change the summary to something less spoilery I would appreciate it also.


End file.
